


WHOUFFLE WEEK 2020. Day Two: Fix it / Nightmares or dreams

by memelovescaps



Series: Whouffle Week 2020 [2]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Sleeping Together, Soft Twelfth Doctor, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Twelfth Doctor Era, fix you, whouffaldi, whouffle, whouffle week 2020, writing prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:22:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27688877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/memelovescaps/pseuds/memelovescaps
Summary: WHOUFFLE WEEK 2020Day Two prompts: Fix you / Nightmares.
Relationships: The Doctor (Doctor Who)/Clara Oswin Oswald, Twelfth Doctor & Clara Oswin Oswald, Twelfth Doctor/Clara Oswin Oswald
Series: Whouffle Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2023754
Comments: 8
Kudos: 32
Collections: Whouffle Week 2020





	WHOUFFLE WEEK 2020. Day Two: Fix it / Nightmares or dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Day 2 of the #WhouffleWeek2020:  
> Prompts for today: FIX YOU/NIGHTMARES. Attempted to include both prompts today. Some cuddling and fluff involved!  
> Set right after S09E08: The Zygon Inversion.

_“You must’ve thought I was dead for a while”_

_“Yeah,” the Doctor said, walking past behind her and placing his hands on the controls of the TARDIS._

_“How was that?”_

_“Longest month of my life” he whispered, noncommittally. Clara looked at him, surprised, and turned her eyes back to the controls under her already expert fingers._

_“It could’ve only been 5 minutes”_

_“I’ll be the judge of time”_

_The Doctor walked behind her again, this time pulling the brake lever down. When Clara looked at him he offered a curt smile, but it was sad. She watched him walking up the stairs of the console room, the TARDIS noise filling the silence as they left the ground._

When the TARDIS dematerialized, Clara was glad they were not headed to her apartment. Usually, after another day of running and a close brush with death, she couldn’t wait until she could put on her joggers and a comfy sweater, fix herself a glass of wine, and snuggle under a blanket with a mindless movie, preferably a romantic comedy.

Today, though, she didn’t want to do that. She didn’t want to get into her lonely, silent apartment, and she most of all dreaded leaving the Doctor for another week. She knew she wasn’t the only one. Her keen eyes looked at him from downstairs while he rummaged through his bookcases, seemingly looking for something. She paid attention to his long fluffy hair, now wilder than usual; and the bags under his eyes. He hadn’t been joking when he said that had felt the longest month in his life. She knew it in her heart that those words had never been truer, and she knew that he normally kept silent whenever she left to go on with her life until he came back the following week to take her out on another adventure. Today he hadn’t been exactly forthcoming, but his sad expression told her he didn’t want her to leave either. Somehow, she could sense it. 

“Where are we going, Doctor?”

She felt his eyes on her, his gaze studying her for a long moment before his lips forced a smile and looked at her enthusiastically.

“Oh! There’s this planet on the edge of the universe, it has the most amazing...”

“No, please. No planets” she interrupted him before he could get too carried away. 

She smiled weakly, she always found both amusing and endearing how he could get as excited as a little boy with a shiny new toy when talking about planets she had never seen. She also knew that was his coping mechanism when he was hurt or feeling low, to focus on other, happier things and pretend everything was okay. But not today. The Doctor walked down the stairs again, stopping a few paces away from her.

“I just... can you take us out into the vortex?” she realized her voice sounded strained and willed her body to relax. The danger had passed, she was safe now. 

“Are you alright, Clara?” his hand was already making for the sonic screwdriver in his jacket pocket when she stopped him.

“I’m fine, I’m fine” she answered, trying to sound nonchalant as she shrugged “I just... I want to stay for a bit here, sleep for a few hours. The vortex always helps me to get some rest”

The Doctor nodded, his fingers already reaching for the controls. He set the new course without once looking at the screen, and she smiled inwardly. She had long thought that the buttons he pressed were random, but lately, she’d discovered that what seemed to be a random sequence of numbers and letters were actually a complicated set of coordinates, and he knew most of them by heart.

When the TARDIS stopped with a gentle thud and it stopped making noise, she knew they had arrived. She smiled widely at the Doctor before running to the door, opening it. The sight almost left her breathless.

The spaceship was suspended in the air, surrounded by billions of millions of stars. Before meeting the Doctor she had always thought the universe was cold and dark, but travelling with him had taught her what a lie that was. There were colours as far as the eye could see, bright flashes of light that shone with different shades. She could also see a nebula in the distance, covering the space with its strange cloudy shapes and gleaming colours. It was a breathtaking view, and she felt very fortunate to be able to see it with her own eyes.

“A supernova exploded here not long ago” his voice was close now. She craned her neck to look at him, he’d walked until he was right behind her, his left arm leaning against the doorframe as his chest brushed lightly against her shoulder.

“It’s lovely” she whispered, her eyes darting back to the show in front of her. She felt more than heard him take a deep breath in and out as if inhaling a scent. He hadn’t moved from his position behind her, and she could swear he was even closer than before. She smirked, knowingly.

In that precise moment, she was aware of how far the Doctor had come when it came to expressing himself. Words and gestures were hard for him in this incarnation, she knew that more than anyone else, but he’d been getting better at it over time. Small squeezes or gentle brushes were not uncommon between them, but it was Clara who normally initiated them, though. Having him so close, standing right behind her with her arm slightly brushing against him, showed her how shaken up he also felt after their recent ordeal.

_I fought in a bigger war than you could ever know and when I close my eyes... I hear more screams than anyone will be able to count!_

She suddenly shuddered at the memory of the Doctor’s words in the Black Archive. That had been an incredibly powerful speech, no one could compete against his ability to use words and transform them into stories. He was so bad at putting certain feelings into words, but then, that speech had come straight from the pain he harboured in his soul, and that couldn’t have been an easy feat. It hadn’t been, she knew for certain. 

She had been there when it had happened, she had been there when all the incarnations of the Doctor joined forces to save Gallifrey, to prevent him from doing a terrible mistake. He changed history, but the memories of the fateful day he _had_ pressed the button were still haunting him. He still could hear the screams.

“You should get inside and get warmed up” his gentle voice came behind her, pulling her out of her thoughts. He no doubt had felt her body shaking, being as close to her as he was.

“I will. Just a bit more” she whispered before sitting down on the floor, her legs dangling over the side of the doorframe. The Doctor sighed weakly before he opened the other door and sat down next to her. She didn’t fail to notice how close he sat down, their arms gently brushing against each other.

“I know you’re afraid, Clara. You don’t have to be any more” he whispered. Her gaze went from the nebula to him, and he was ignoring the spectacle before them, his eyes focused solely on her. She felt the intensity of his gaze and felt herself blush, before shaking her head.

“I’m not afraid, not exactly. I’m... I feel uneasy. I don’t want to go home just yet”

“Just as well” he answered, nodding “I’m not sure what those pods can do to a human or what their after effect may be. I’d rather keep an eye on you”

“Do you think it will have affected something in my brain?”

“I don’t know. It’s highly unlikely, you haven’t been inside it for long, but I’m not sure”

She felt her body shudder again with the memory of her trapped in the pod. It was a strange feeling, her brain trying to make some sense of what she knew was real, that she’d been trapped inside a Zygon pod, and what her memories were telling her, of how she’d been trapped inside her apartment. It was yet another reason she hadn’t wanted to go back to that place.

“Hey” he whispered, his voice deep and gentle, calling her attention.

She looked at him and got entranced in the affection of his gaze, the warm smile on his lips, even his attack eyebrows seemed less prominent now with his wild curls all over the place. She peripherally saw one of his hands hovering close to her face, undecided until he cupped her cheek with it. His palm was warm, his long slender fingers caressing the skin. She closed her eyes involuntarily.

“I won’t let anything happen to you, Clara. If the pods did something to you I’ll fix it. I’ll fix you. That’s what I do” he spoke softly, his Scottish gruff coming off him and making her relax a notch almost instantly.

She didn’t know whether he was aware of how calm and warm his voice could be when he set his mind to it. She felt safe where she was, and she knew he would take care of her if something indeed happened. She sighed deeply.

“Thank you” she whispered as she exhaled, resting her face against his bicep. Even sitting down he was still taller than her so she couldn’t exactly rest it against his shoulder, but she didn’t mind and the Doctor didn’t seem to either. She felt him breathe deeply against her, and for a second she could’ve sworn she’d felt him resting his chin on the top of her head.

“But I have to ask, though. How are you feeling? Do you feel the need to dissolve into a blob with suckers and poisonous barbs? Do you feel angry, murderous?” she recognized the joking tone in his voice and she smirked, their banter dissolving some of the uneasiness in her heart.

“No more than usual” she answered in a light tone that matched his. She knew, however, that he’d noticed their banter lacked their usual edgy tone and she felt him a bit closer now, his arm slightly pressing against hers. 

“Go to bed, Clara” he murmured, his tone still warm but with an undertone of authority “I’ll keep an eye on things”

She pressed her side against his for a few seconds, not wanting to lose his warmth, until she felt she no longer could get away with it. Then she nudged him on his arm as she stood up, gazing upon the nebula one more time before the Doctor followed suit and got up as well, closing the door behind them.

“The nebula will still be here tomorrow” he whispered with a wink.

“Good night, Doctor,” she said “you should go to sleep too. You’ve also had a trying day...”

“You have no idea...” the Doctor whispered, but Clara never heard.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The Doctor had been trying to delay going to sleep for a while. Clara had gone to bed an hour or so ago, and he’d been tinkering with the TARDIS console to pass the time, intended to fulfil his promise to look after her. He’d been almost completely honest when he’d said he didn’t know what after-effects being in a Zygon pod could have to a human, but he hadn’t told her the whole truth: all the times he’d seen a human inside a Zygon pod, the human ended up dead. Seeing as Clara was very much not dead, thankfully, he wasn’t sure what she could experience in the next few hours.

Nightmares would be the most common occurrence in the circumstances. He knew he technically could squeeze in a few minutes of a power nap, perhaps he would even wake up before she could even get caught in the throes of her nightmare and wake her up in time. He could feel the exhaustion in his body and he rubbed his eyes tiredly, pressing the heels of his hands against them as he stifled a yawn. A nap sounded heavenly... but he couldn’t go to bed, not yet. 

His body and his mind screamed for some rest, and being as exhausted as he was, he couldn’t be completely sure he would wake up in time to get Clara out of her nightmarish dream, and that was only assuming it would be a nightmare and nothing worse. No, he couldn’t take the risk. He had to take care of her. His hands went automatically to his hair and ran his fingers through it, not realizing he was making it wilder than it already was, as he tried to focus once more on the screen in front of him.

That’s when he heard a noise. It would’ve been masked by the TARDIS’ gentle humming and he wouldn’t have heard it if he hadn’t already been paying attention, his mind already attuned to possible sounds of distress. And he heard them, loud and clear, moans and whimpering. He left the console and ran through the corridor towards Clara’s bedroom, the noise becoming clearer the closer he got to her door until he stood right in front of it. He hesitated when his hand made for the doorknob, not wanting to invade her personal and private space. He’d seen enough of nightmares to know you need some time afterwards to get your bearings, he’d revisited enough bad moments in his dreams to have nightmares to last for an eternity. And he always felt raw and vulnerable after them, he didn’t want the same thing to happen to her. 

And yet, she had stayed in the TARDIS. She had specifically requested to be here, in his company, and she hadn’t argued against the idea of the Doctor keeping an eye on her while she slept. So, gulping and pushing down his doubts, he turned the knob and entered the room.

The first thing he noticed was her smell, hitting his nostrils and surrounding him, and he closed his eyes momentarily as he breathed in. He smiled, he had already committed her scent to his memory and he was rapidly becoming addicted to it. 

He shook his head, though, when he took in the bundle under the covers. Clara was tossing and turning, most of her body still covered by the duvet but he could see her face: furrowed brow and tense expression, lips pressed into a thin line as she tried to muffle the moans and whimpers that wanted to come out. He had never seen her like that before, but he didn’t need to translate her expression then, he knew very well what she was going through. She lost the battle when the moans became pleads, and the Doctor stood near the doorframe, shocked.

“No... please, not the Doctor... not him, NO!”

Clara began to thrash about, her arms flailing as she tried to fight against whatever that was holding her in her dream. That’s what spurred the Doctor to action. In a couple of strides, he was beside her bed, kneeling so he would be at her eye level. 

“Clara... Clara, wake up...” he whispered gently, placing one hand on her shoulder. She flinched at the contact but still didn’t wake up, so the Doctor put more pressure on it and started to gently shake her body. He didn’t want to be too harsh and kept calling her name, all to no avail. The next few seconds Clara started openly whimpering, racked sobs breaking through her lips as she repeated his name, over and over again. It didn’t take the Doctor long to imagine he was somehow part of her nightmare, and if he was to believe her words, it included his death. 

He had to take her out of her dream, now. She shook her with a bit more force this time, calling her name with authority, and then suddenly she screamed as her eyes opened in panic. She scurried away from him in a second, almost pushing him, as she curled herself up against the bedpost and placed her knees against her chest in a distinctively protective position. The Doctor’s hearts painfully clenched at the sight, as he put his hands on the air in a non-threatening manner.

“It’s okay, Clara. It’s just me” he whispered gently. He didn’t move a muscle, still on his knees and not trying to get to Clara. He had to calm her down first, make her aware of her surroundings “it’s okay, that was just a dream. You’re in the TARDIS, with me, that’s all over”

“D-Doctor?” she asked, her voice sounded small and vulnerable, so unlike Clara’s. She sniffled noisily and he could see, by the little light in the room, something glistening on her cheeks. Tears.

“Yes. I’m here” he answered, keeping his voice a murmur “I’m here, that was all a dream. It isn’t real, Clara”

“B-but I... I saw you, I...”

“I know, it felt real. But it isn’t. I’m here” he offered one hand so she could take it, and was surprised when Clara not only grabbed her hand but she also pulled him onto the bed with her. He fell onto the mattress quite ungraciously and he groaned but stopped as he realized what she was doing. She had hidden her face against her chest, her hands grabbing his jumper as if making sure he wouldn’t disappear. And she was crying.

For a split second the Doctor didn’t know how to react, that is until she felt the vibration of her wracking sobs against his chest. Very gently, still mindful to not make her feel trapped, he surrounded her small body with his arms and held her close to him.

“It’s alright Clara, it was just a dream...” he murmured, his voice calm and affectionate.

“I... I pulled the trigger, Doctor, I... god, it felt... awful, I...”

“I know. But you didn’t do it. In fact, you being inside her mind saved me. It wasn’t you pulling the trigger” he coaxed, gently and with a soft voice.

His fingers found hers and gently managed to pry them away from her vicious grip on his jumper, only to guide her hand against his chest, pressing her palm against his jumper. He allowed her to feel his heartbeat under her fingertips, the strong, steady drumming of his hearts that told her he was alive and well. 

“You saved me” he whispered, his lips leaving a light-feather kiss on the top of her head. Clara didn’t answer but her mind seemed clearer, the fog of the night dream lifting as she seemed to be focusing on counting his heartbeat, her fingers gently drumming against his chest. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes briefly.

“You haven’t slept” 

Her voice jolted him out of his state. The Doctor opened his eyes, momentarily disoriented, and wondered how long he’d been dozing off. He didn’t answer to her statement and his silence was answer enough for her, he knew. He looked down sheepishly.

“You’re exhausted. Why don’t you get in here with me and get a few hours of sleep?” 

“What? Clara, I can’t possibly...”

“Don’t start” she interrupted him, and he fell silent. He heard her sigh as she grabbed one of his hands, clasping it slightly “you need to sleep, but you won’t because you want to look after me. And I wonder, who takes care of you?”

“You do” he responded almost automatically. She grinned.

“Exactly. I’m your carer, remember?” she whispered, her grin growing a bit warmer “what better way to keep an eye on you, and you on me, than sleeping together? That way we can catch some sleep and we’ll be here if the other needs it”

“Sounds like you had it all figured out” the Doctor scoffed slightly. She looked at him, beaming, and wriggled her eyebrows, which made him laugh. 

He debated internally what to do, but his mind must’ve been playing tricks on him and his determination dissolved instantly as Clara moved away and patted the space between them invitingly. Finally, the Doctor got up from the bed only to move the covers and get under them. He kept straight as a ramrod, sleep gone through the window as he felt his body tense with anxiety and anticipation. He wondered for a second how he would manage to sleep in that state when Clara pressed her body against his side, and he felt the tension of the day draining out of his body almost completely at her closeness.

After a bit of fumbling around and awkwardly moving arms and legs, the Doctor finally found a comfortable position. He was resting on his side, one of his arms over Clara giving her a protective embrace while she, being the little spoon he always considered her to be, was resting next to him, her back pressed against his chest. 

“Good night, my Clara” he whispered as he pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. 

He waited until she fell asleep. He counted the steady beating of her heart, telling him that she was _alive._ He focused on her calm breathing, on the warmth of her body pressed to his, of her scent surrounding him... not long after Clara, he was dozing off too. No more nightmares visited them that night. 


End file.
